10 RuPaul's Drag Race Enemies Who Became Friends
Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re talking about the “Drag Race’s” fierce rivals who became unexpected besties.
Yvie Oddly & Silky Nutmeg Ganache
Season 11
After several seasons of relatively tame “Untucked” episodes, the cast of season 11 suddenly livened things up. Yvie Oddly was often at the center of the dramatic spillover. Her straightforwardness and unique style of drag rubbed many of her competitors the wrong way, and Silky Nutmeg Ganache was chief among them. Their dust-ups inspired some of the season’s most iconic moments. Since then, though, the pair seem to have come a long way. Yvie even says she considers herself closer to Silky than many other castmates. Given their contentious and personal arguments, that’s no small feat.
Daya Betty & Jasmine Kennedie
Season 14
Daya Betty’s blunt critiques of her competitors landed her in hot water with them and the fans. She was especially critical of Jasmine Kennedie, whose drag just didn’t excite her. After a while, the tension boiled over. It was exactly what season 14 needed in terms of the drama, but they’ve since toured together and become friends. The fact that they even speak after Jasmine’s unloading on her at the reunion is kind of a miracle in itself. It’s not the first time the queens have described how the competition gets the best of some people.
Aja & Mistress Isabelle Brooks
All Stars 10
Once she realized the season wasn’t going her way, you can start to see Mistress Isabelle Brooks pivot from trying to win the crown to just making good TV. One of her targets was frontrunner Aja. Their most infamous moment was when Mistress decided to laugh right in Aja’s face in the Werk Room. If anything, it shows a lot of growth on Aja’s part. But it’s clear that whatever animosity may have been there was either put on for the cameras or easy to forget. As rotted as their little spat was, it didn’t translate off camera.
Yvie Oddly & Ra’Jah O’Hara
Season 11
Every week of season 11, we were treated to some of the juiciest “Untucked” drama since the early days of the show. Yvie Oddly and Ra’Jah O’Hara’s feud got particularly nasty. But most of the worst offenses were committed in Ra’Jah’s confessionals, where she read Yvie on a deeply personal level. Yvie confronted her at the reunion, and it was uncomfortable to watch. However, since the show, Ra’Jah’s redemption with the fans has also come with a friendship with Yvie. The two patched things up almost immediately. Yvie now lists Ra’Jah among her closest friends from the season.
Derrick Barry & Naomi Smalls
Season 8
Although it didn’t erupt until late in the season, the spat between Britney impersonator Derrick Barry and fashion queen Naomi Smalls got ugly very fast. As Derrick started to fall behind, she lashed out at Naomi, whose star was on the rise after her early stumbles. Their feud became particularly tense in the Werk Room. They took aim at everything from talent to hair lines. However, after the season aired, Derrick would go on to say that she and Naomi were best friends. It’s a good thing, too, because the two are frequent co-stars of the “RuPaul’s Drag Race Live” residency in Las Vegas.
Mystique & Morgan McMichaels
Season 2
As soon as we saw the cast list for “All Stars 11,” and Mystique and Morgan were in the same bracket, we all wondered the same thing. Were they going to light it up in “Untucked” again? Well, as it turns out, the pair of queens responsible for the first iconic “Untucked” fight have mellowed with age. It appears that they came into “All Stars” with much cooler heads. In fact, they seem to have developed a mutual respect, something that definitely wasn’t true when they first met over 15 years before.
Bianca Del Rio & Laganja Estranja
Season 6
This was a case of brutal honesty butting up against drag delusion. Bianca Del Rio’s inability to hold her tongue and Laganja Estranja’s heightened personality for the cameras did not mesh well. Over the season, that tension eventually spread among the cast. The culmination was an unforgettable “Untucked” fight, instigated by Bianca, that led to Laganja having a full on meltdown before her inevitable elimination. Despite the waves it made, it almost seems like once the façade fell away, Bianca and Laganja became great friends. More than a decade removed, they can even poke fun at the moment of TV they made together.
Roxxxy Andrews & Jinkx Monsoon
Season 5
Two queens, two different styles of drag. The result is a rivalry that got uglier faster than you can say “sashay away.” Underdog Jinkx Monsoon wasn’t so much of an underdog by the end of season 5, and pageant queen Roxxxy Andrews couldn’t stand it. The mind games that ensued were the stuff of legend. Yet by the time the season aired, they were calling each other sisters. It was the emotional whiplash of the millennium, especially considering how harsh the fandom was on Roxxxy. They’ve been celebrating each other’s wins ever since.
Bob the Drag Queen & Derrick Barry
Season 8
The hero of every story needs a villain. If season 8 is the story of how Bob the Drag Queen won “Drag Race,” then Derrick Barry is her nemesis. Derrick didn’t understand why she was getting critiques about her drag when Bob wasn’t. This disconnect led to some of the most hilarious and shady Werk Room moments we’ve ever seen. By the end of the season, though, the two had managed to find a mutual respect for each other’s art. Since then, it appears the one-time enemies have only grown to love each other deeply.
Alyssa Edwards & Coco Montrese
Season 5
Few “Drag Race” feuds have generated as much speculation or meme-able moments as this one. As soon as Alyssa Edwards and Coco Montrese walked into the room, it was on sight. So much season 5 drama stemmed from the bad blood that started in their pageant days. Technically, Alyssa and Coco were friends-turned-enemies-turned-friends again. We’d have to check and see how they’re doing now, but by the time they came back for “All Stars 2,” they had squashed their season-defining beef. As Alyssa told it, they had “buried the hatch.” They greeted each other with open arms this time.
Which of these “Drag Race” duels is still your favorite? Tell us in the comments.
